e down the
very steep pitch of the bank.

"That is something," said the Captain, "with which as a soldier you have
nothing to do. All you have to do is to obey orders; and the orders are
that we charge down hill."

"I shall go head first, then," said Daisy, "or over and over. I couldn't
keep my feet one minute."

"Now you are arguing," said the Captain; "and that shews
insubordination, or want of discipline. But we have got to charge, all
the same; and we'll see about putting you under arrest afterwards."

Daisy laughed at him, but she could not conceive how they should get to
the bottom. It was very steep and strewn with dead leaves from the trees
which grew thick all the way. Rolling down was out of the question, for
the stems of the trees would catch them; and to keep on their feet
seemed impossible. Daisy found however that Capt. Drummond could manage
what she could not. He took hold of her hand again; and then--Daisy
hardly believed it while she was doing it,--but there she was, going
down that bank in an upright position; not falling nor stumbling, though
it is true she was not walking neither. The Captain did not let her
fall, and his strong hand seemed to take her like a feather over the
stones and among the trees, giving her flying leaps and bounds down, the
hill along with him. How _he_ went and kept his feet remained always a
marvel to Daisy; but down they went, and at the bottom they were in a
trifle of time.

"Do you think he will come down there after us?" said the Captain.

"I am sure he won't," said Daisy.

"So am I sure. We are safe, Daisy. Now I am your prisoner and you are my
prisoner; and we will set each other at any work we please. This is a
nice place."

Behind them, was the high, steep, wooded bank, rising right up. Before
them was a little strip of pebbly beach, and little wavelets of the
river washing past it. Beyond lay the broad stream, all bright in the
summer sunshine, with the great blue hills rising up misty and blue in
the distance. Nothing else; a little curve in the shore on each side
shut them in from all that was above or below near at hand.

"Why this is a fine place," repeated the Captain. "Were you ever here
before?"

"Not in a long time," said Daisy. "I have been here with June."

"June! Aren't we here with June now?"

"_Now_!--O I don't mean the month--I mean mamma's black June," said
Daisy laughing.

"Well that is the first time I ever heard of a black June!" m